Hero of Blades: Saga of Blades Redone
by AproposFool89
Summary: This is the same story I uploaded previously, but with a little help revising it.
1. Chapter 1: A New Hero

**_Author's Note:_**

I do not own The Legend of Zelda. Rights belong to Nintendo. I do own my character and the storyline.

This is an AU (Alternate Universe) story that takes place after OoT and MM, were it to be on the official Zelda timeline. In this AU, despite Link and Zelda's efforts to protect the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf once again obtained the Triforce of Power, with the Triforce of Wisdom going to Zelda and the Triforce of Courage going to Link, but this time, Link managed to kill Ganondorf before he was able to ruin Hyrule as he did in the previous timeline. Peace returned to Hyrule after this, and many years have passed since then.

My OC knows everything about the Legend of Zelda, from the very first Link and Zelda, to the most recent. (An: LoZ to SS.) Even so, he will still have no idea what awaits him in Hyrule.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A New Hero**

* * *

 _Unknown POV_

Deep within the Gerudo Fortress, I stand while rummaging through papers, having no time to sit and relax. Twinrova, the twin witches who raised the Evil King, kept their files here, and these were the documents that I was now breezing through. I could only hope that the sisters would be able to tell me who the new defender of the world would be, so that I would be prepared for the newcomer and put an end to him before he could ruin my plans. I could handle the Hero of Time, Link, coming up against me; Chosen Hero or not, I would not let one mere boy get in my way. If that had been my only obstacle, I wouldn't've had any reason to be concerned, but there was also the matter of this new, as of yet unnamed hero, and that worried me. I had no way of knowing what he was capable of, so I had to put an end to him BEFORE he was able to awaken as hero.  
Continuing in my search, I stumble across a document titled the "Song of Swords", or some such nonsense, but quickly discard it, deeming that it was not the article I needed. Finally finding the spell I required - a spell that could summon any one person I desired, regardless of time or distance - I take it off of the stack and stuff it into my pocket, rushing out to gather the ingredients I needed, not caring if the other papers I left behind were out of order and laying in unorganized piles where I had sat them. Someone else of lesser importance could tend to that.

* * *

 _Cody's POV_

On Earth, I fell forward and my face hit the sidewalk once again as the two basketball players slammed me down. Laughing cruelly, they jogged off down the street, not wanting to be late for practice. I groaned softly, not moving from this position, just as my best friend, Amy, saw me and ran to my side to check on me.

"Are you ok?" she asked, worried that I might have been hurt. "I just decided to taste the sidewalk today." I retorted as I normally did, fake licking the ground and mumbling, "I taste chocolate...with a hint of blood."

Amy helped me up, sighing but then giggling softly with me over my comment. "You goof." She snickered, nudging me playfully.

After a moment, though, Amy lost all her playfulness, her voice suddenly taking on an extremely serious tone as she said, "You need to stop being so weak. You can't just let them bully you like that. Get up and fight next time! Don't just lay there like a wimp!"

I sighed. "I don't mean to be weak, Amy, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not as strong as them; I wouldn't stand a chance." I told her, inwardly adding, _Not to mention, they're the principal's sons, and I'm sure I'd get in trouble if I did fight back._

Ordinarily, Amy was a nice girl, but as would be expected from most redheads, she did have a temper that often showed itself when I did something that annoyed her. During those times, it seemed like she had an evil split personality, it was so wildly different from her usual self.

After a moment or two, she softened, feeling bad over her initial harshness with me. "I'm sorry, Cody." She said, her golden colored eyes locking with my green ones, "Well, I need to get home. I'll see you later!"

I smiled at her, watching happily as she got into her Ford Gt 500.

Amy was a rich girl, but yet, somehow, she thought of me, a poor guy barely able to pay for a house, as her best friend. We had been friends since I first enrolled there at the college three years ago, but I never asked or accepted money from her; I was content with my life, so long as the people I cared about were in it.

Getting into my little junker of a car, I drove back to small house, thankful that it was Friday.

Once I reach home, I park my car and walk inside. 'Finally, I can relax.' I thought, 'Got to love weekends.'

With that, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, picking up the TV remote and aiming it at the television; however, just as I was about to click the power button on the remote, the sky outside suddenly and mysteriously darkened.

"Strange…" I muttered out loud as I wandered over to the window, _They didn't say it was going to rain today..._

Seeing that the sky was indeed dark and cloudy, I grab my jacket and head outside for a better look, but no sooner did I get out the door than I was grabbed and pulled into a portal, without warning and before I could even react. Once on the other side of the portal, I immediately look around, shocked to discover that below me there is no ground, but merely the opening of a volcano, some several hundred feet below. I was just hovering there somehow! I wanted to run, but to where? Supposing that I was on some sort of invisible platform, I wouldn't know where to walk. I had barely begun to consider my options when a voice spoke above me.

"It pains me to do say this, but I'm afraid I must kill you now. You're far too great of a threat to leave alive. Good-bye, Hero of Blades." At that, I find myself plunging to the lava below.

 _Does it really end like this?_ I thought, _Is this really how I die? And why? I'm not a hero..._ Never in my life had I thought that it would end like this.

* * *

 _Crystal's POV_

I sat on my sofa in my small apartment in New York City, drawing a sketch of a new character for the Zelda series - a new Princess of Hyrule. Despite not being fluent in Japanese, I had miraculously been hired by Nintendo and was now one of the artists that was working on new characters for the next installment in the Zelda series. She was Zelda's sister, second heir to the Throne of Hyrule.

 _There, you're almost done._ I thought, drawing an intricate tiara on her head, _Now I just need to give you a name._

Why I had been so compelled to create this concept character so suddenly, I didn't know. I had had a dream about me doing so the previous night, and afterward just couldn't get the idea out of my head. I sighed contentedly as I looked out the window. Cloudy skies and rain - my favorite type of weather. I looked back at my drawing and smiled wistfully.

 _I wish I could be as beautiful as you are._ I thought, looking at the slender girl in my drawing. I had never been as thin as her as most girls. I wasn't really fat, mind you, just not exactly perfect, and deep down, I hated that.

I closed my eyes, and dreamt away about what it would be like to live in Hyrule, a place where people had noble minds, pure hearts, and good always won over evil. A tear fell down my face.

 _If only it could be real._ I thought with a sigh.

At that moment, I heard a somewhat strict but caring female voice call my name. I got up to answer the door, laughing to myself as I did; this was exactly the voice I'd always imagined for Impa from Ocarina of Time.

"Strange, though," I muttered to myself, "I don't know anyone with that voice." I cautiously peeked out the door, and a hand grabbed my arm, firmly but gently.

"Crystal, I need you to come with me." The stranger said, her voice firm but gentle. I directed my gaze to her face, finding that she looked a lot like Impa would if she were living in our world, with round ears like us. She was probably middle-aged, with white hair, and reddish-brown eyes. She wore a purple T-shirt with matching purple shorts and black sneakers.

"What?!" I asked, trying to pull away.

"Don't ask questions now. You're in danger. We haven't the time." And with that, she whisked me downstairs and into a supply closet, pulling me into a golden portal that shimmered and disappeared behind us after we'd entered it.


	2. Chapter 2: Tragedy

**Chapter 2: Tragedy**

* * *

 _Link's POV_

I sighed contentedly as I opened my eyes and sat up in my bed, stretching. Standing up, I walked over to my window and gazed outside, surpised to see that it was well past noon; I was already known for being a late sleeper, but this brought that title to a whole new level.

 _Well, Link,_ I thought to myself, _looks like you've done it again. Can you ever maintain the sleeping schedule of a normal person?_

Shaking my head, I walked outside to greet the day that I had rudely been ignoring by sleeping through it.

It had been seven years since I laid the Master Sword to rest and returned to Kokiri Forest. Being Hylian and not Kokiri meant that I had grown up, and although the Deku Tree had still kindly allowed me to stay in Kokiri Forest, most of the Kokiri now refused to talk to me, with only one exception - my childhood friend, Saria, but I didn't let it bother me.

As always, I found that Saria was on the ground outside my treehouse, waiting to greet me.

"Good morning, Link!" she called out from below. I smiled and climbed down to meet her, kneeling in front of her so that I was down at her level.

"Good morning to you too, Saria." I returned her salutations.

"You have any plans today?" she asked, smiling.

"Actually, I was going to visit Zelda today." I replied; I hadn't visited her for a month now, and I thought I should.

"Oh, ok. I'll be here when you get back!" She said as I headed off. As always, I made sure to bring all of my equipment with me - the Great Fairy's Sword, the Hylian Shield, my bow and arrows, and the Ocarina of Time - in case I needed it.

As I entered the sunny Hyrule Field, I met someone I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hoot-Hoo! Link! It's good to see you, my boy!" A familiar voice called out, and I looked up at a nearby tree branch to see Kaepora Gaebora.

"It has been awhile." I said, smiling, "What brings you here?"

"I wish I came with good news, but I'm afraid you are needed again." he explained, "Link, you must go to Hyrule Castle, quickly!" And with that, he took to the skies, flying away before I could even ask what was going on.

 _Time is of the essence._ I thought, grabbing my ocarina and playing "Epona's Song", hoping my trusty horse would hear me and come quickly.

Not even moments later, I saw her over the horizon, but was shocked was shocked when I saw Malon riding her.

"Link! What a surprise. Epona just stopped listening to me and headed out here." Malon said when she and Epona reached me.

I look downed. "Sorry about that, Malon," I apologized, "but I need to get to the castle quickly."

Malon sighed. "Okay, but…" she started, and I almost fell over from shock when I realized how cruel it would have been to ask Malon to stay here, when she was hours away from Lon Lon Ranch.

"I…Umm…" I started, feeling guilty, and unsure of what to say.

"It's ok, Link. Just take me with you." Malon said cheerfully. I looked at her and smiled, grateful that she understood how important this was to me.

"Are you sure, Malon?" I asked.

She scooted back and patted the saddle in front of her, signaling for me to climb up, and saying, "Of course." Smiling, I hopped on, and spurred Epona towards the castle.

* * *

Some time later, we finally reached Castle Town, and I allowed Epona to slow her pace as we rode through the town, and up to the gate leading to Hyrule Castle. Climbing down from Epona's saddle, I walked over to the guard standing at the gate.

"I need to come through." I told him.

"Sorry, Link, but no one enters today, not at a time like this." the guard replied, his voice unusually soft and melancholy.

"Princess Zelda, herself, declared that I could enter these grounds at any time." I told him, staring at him in confusion, "It is imperative that I get inside."

He shook his head. "I can't." he repeated. Suddenly, to my relief, Impa appeared.

"Let him pass." she said to the guard, who immediately obeyed.

"Yes, Ma'am." he said, opening the gate to allow me passage.

I looked back at Malon and Epona. "Would you take Epona back to town for me, please, Malon?" I asked.

"Alright," she said reluctantly, "but will you be gone long?" I looked at Impa for the answer to this question, and received a simple nod in response.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." I said, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Link." Malon sighed, mustering a smile, "I understand." Flashing a grateful smile towards Malon, I follow Impa through the gate and up to the castle, surprised to find that we were not heading to the courtyard.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up with Impa, who was moving at a very brisk pace, seemingly unwilling to stop and explain.

"Impa?" I asked again when she didn't respond, "Impa?! Hey! Wait up!"

Her pace increased as she continued to walk through the halls of Hyrule Castle silently. I always knew Impa to be blunt and to the point, but this was not like her. The air around us felt tense, every guard watching us with a nervous and almost mournful expression. Whatever had happened, I knew it wasn't good, and tried to brace myself for the bad news; little did I know then that I could never have prepared myself enough for what I was about to find out.

* * *

A few moments later, we entered the throne room.

"Zelda?" I called out, running to the throne, but finding that she was not there. I looked around the room to find her, but to no avail. Even the guards, themselves, had left their posts - an unusual and somewhat disturbing sign that something wasn't quite right. Still, I tried to brush it off as nothing.

 _Maybe Impa sent them away so we could speak with Zelda privately._ I thought, _But Zelda isn't here._ I looked at Impa worriedly.

"Where's Zelda?" I asked, inwardly fearing that I knew the answer just by the grave look on Impa's face. _Has she been kidnapped?_ I added inwardly, not daring to ask the question, as I had hoped I was wrong.

Impa shook her head slowly, her expression still grim.

"No?" I asked, surprised, "Well, what's going on then, Impa?! Where is Zelda...?" Panic was beginning to set in, my mind running a mile a minute as I tried to consider all of the possibilities. _Did she run away? But that's not like Zelda; she must've had a reason for it, if she did. Is she in trouble? Is she hurt, or sick? Is she in the hospital? What happened?_ All of these questions were running through my head as I looked at Impa.

"Link..." the Sheikah said, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back tears.

"What, Impa?" I asked, my concern growing stronger by the minute; Impa had never reacted like this to anything before, "What happened?"

She remained silent briefly as she fought back tears.

"Link..." she began again after a moment, her voice still loud enough to hear, but quieter, and even more broken, "Zelda is dead."


	3. Chapter 3: The Murder

**Chapter 3: The Murder**

* * *

 _Link's POV_

"No..." I said softly, shaking my head in disbelief as a backed away from Impa, "Zelda can't be dead...she can't..."

Impa sighed and shook her head sadly. "I didn't want to believe it, either, Link." she said, "But it's true. Zelda is gone.."

I bowed my head and cried at the thought of my dear friend being dead. I was supposed to protect her. How could I have let this happen?

"H-how...?" I began, but lost my voice, unable to finish my question vocally, but hoping that my expression said enough for Impa to understand, _How did she die?_

"Someone snuck into her room the night before last... None of the guards know how they managed to do it, but I suspect the person teleported there..." Impa began.

* * *

 _Two days ago..._

 _Unknown POV_

 _"Have you spoken to Rauru yet?" I could hear Princess Zelda ask, walking down the hall towards her bedroom - the very room where I lay in wait, hiding in the shadows._

 _"No." Impa replied, "He said that we should both meet with him tomorrow at the Temple of Time."_

 _Zelda sighed worriedly. "Did he say why?"_

 _"No, but I don't think it's good news." Impa told her quietly, "He wouldn't ask to meet with us just to discuss the price of tea in Holodrum." She smiled slightly at the Princess, hoping her joke might ease her heart a little._

 _Zelda smiled and giggled very softly. "I should think not."_

 _Impa stopped at the entrance to Zelda's bedroom. "Well, you'd better get your rest, Princess. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."_

 _Nodding, the Princess opened the large, intricately carved, wooden double doors to her bedroom, stepping inside before looking back at her trusted caretaker._

 _"Goodnight, Impa." she told her._

 _"Goodnight, Princess." Impa replied before walking off down the hall._

 _I smiled as I watched the Princess step into the room and close the door; this was going to be so easy._

 _What seemed like an hour passed before the Princess finally went to bed and fell asleep, but I waited patiently; if I made my move too soon, her screams might have alerted her Sheikah nursemaid. That was why I had to wait until she had fallen asleep, and Impa had gone far enough away that she hopefully wouldn't be able to hear the girl, should she wake up and scream._

 _Once I was sure that the Princess was asleep, I silently walked over to her bed with a dagger in my hand. To my dismay, the girl stirred in her sleep, seemingly having sensed my presence somehow. As I leaned over her bed, her eyes flew upon and she looked up at me._

 _"Wh-who are you?! What are you doing here?!" she asked, eyes wide with fear. She tried to move, but I used my magic to hold her still._

 _"Shhh," I chuckled softly, holding one finger to my lips, "Someone will hear you." I raised my dagger high above her, watching her as she gasped and closed her eyes in fear. A satisfied smile on my face, I plunged it down into the Princess' chest, killing her._

 _A smile tugging on my lips, I looked at my work with satisfaction. "Goodnight, Princess." I chuckled, walking away, and using magic to teleport myself out of the castle._

* * *

 _Return to Present Time_

 _Link's POV_

I stood, listening quietly, as Impa finished explaining the tragedy that had occurred. My eyes were gazing down at the floor in sadness, each word that I heard Impa say making my heart sink lower and lower. She was right; Zelda was gone, and there was nothing I could do to change that - _absolutely nothing._

I'd failed her. She was the one person I was supposed to protect, and I'd failed her. It was all my fault - or so I'd convinced myself.

"Link," Impa said softly, putting her hand on my shoulder reassuring , "it wasn't your fault. I know you blame yourself, but you couldn't have known what was going to happen. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have come back to check on her."

"Impa, it's not your fault, either. You couldn't have known anymore than I could've." I told her softly.

"I _should_ have suspected it." Impa said, "I knew when Rauru first told us to meet him at the Temple of Time that something was wrong. I should have kept a better watch over her."

"Impa -" I began.

"No, Link," she said, cutting me off, "my job was to protect her. Nothing you say could ever justify my lack of effort."

I sighed; I knew that there was no way I could ever change her mind about that - no way that I could take away the guilt that she had. I knew because I felt the same way.

 _It was my job, too._ I thought silently, looking up at her. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew what I was feeling inside - we both blamed ourselves for what happened to Zelda, but at the same time, we also both knew deep down that standing around and discussing whose fault it really was for not protecting her wasn't going to get us anywhere, and it certainly wouldn't help bring her killer to justice.

"It doesn't matter anymore." I said, shaking my head, "Whoever's fault ot was that this happened, whoever should have been there to protect her, the fact is that they weren't, and nothing we do is going to change that. We could stand around debating this all day, and all we'd be accomplishing is giving more time for Zelda's killer to accomplish the next step in his plan. We need to go after this guy and stop him; that's what Zelda would want us to do if she were still around. We can cry later."

Impa nodded silently in acknowledgement, and as I stood looking at her, I knew that we both shared the same thought; _Whoever did this to her is going to pay dearly for his sins._

Taking a deep breath, I summoned all of the strength and courage that I could, looking at her determinedly.

"Who are we facing this time, Impa?" I asked, anger tainting the tone in my voice, "Who did this to her?"

Impa shook her head. "We don't know for sure. When I met Rauru the next day to inform him of what happened, he told me that a new threat has come to take over Hyrule - one that may even be stronger than Ganondorf."

"What could possibly be stronger than Ganondorf, the King of Evil?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief, although I knew Impa would not be able to answer that question any more than I could. Impa didn't answer; instead, she just stood silently, thinking.

"We need the Master Sword." she said simply after several moments.

"What?!" I asked in shock and disbelief, "No! Impa, Zelda had me return that sword to its pedestal a long time ago, and with good reason; that sword blocks the entrance to the Sacred Realm! If I pull the Master Sword out of its pedestal again, I will be putting the Sacred Realm at risk!"

"Ganondorf is dead now." Impa reminded me, "There will be no threat to the Sacred Realm so long as he remains dead. In order to defeat this enemy, we will _need_ the Master Sword."

"Alright," I agreed with a reluctant sigh, "but first I'll need the three Spiritual Stones to open it. I have the Ocarina of Time, but without the Spiritual Stones, I still won't be able to open the door."

"We won't need them." Impa told me.

"Of course we will, Impa! If Zelda were here, she could use her powers as the Sage of Time to open the door, but she's not here! She's gone!" I cried, feeling tears run down my face.

"I know, Link," she said sadly, "but we do have someone else that can help us now."

"Who...?" I asked, confused.

Impa paused for a moment before answering, "Zelda's sister."


	4. Chapter 4: Princess Crystal

**Chapter 4: Princess Crystal**

* * *

 _Yesterday afternoon_

 _Crystal's POV_

 _My feet hit the ground as we emerged out the other side of the portal that Impa had led me through. A strange sight met my eyes; we were now inside of a large castle. A large hallway stretched out in front and behind us as we stood in the middle of it, with thick blue carpet beneath our feet._

 _"Wh-where are we...?" I asked curiously, looking around._

 _The portal immediately closed behind us, and the woman who had brought me through the portal transformed before my very eyes into Impa from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time._

 _"This is Hyrule Castle." she stated simply in a very matter-of-fact tone._

 _"...Hyrule Castle...?" I questioned, backing away slightly and shaking my head in disbelief as I looked around. No, it couldn't be; that would be ridiculous. Hyrule didn't_ really _exist, did it...? "The one where Princess Zelda lives?"_

 _Impa seemed hesitant for a moment to answer. "Yes," she said after a moment, "that is where we are."_

 _Still in disbelief, I pinched my arm - hard. "OW!" I shrieked; this was definitely real._

 _"What are you doing...?" Impa asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity and confusion._

 _"Nothing." I sweetly laughed it off, "Just never mind."_

 _She shrugged and shook her head after a moment. "Alright, come on. There's something I need to discuss with you."_

 _Curious about what she had wanted to discuss, I quickly followed her down the hall._

 _"Here we are, Crystal." Impa said, stopping as we reached the throne room._

 _Expecting to see Princess Zelda there, I walked in and looked around, but was surprised when I didn't see Zelda at all; she wasn't there. The throne room was completely empty. This was not at all how I had pictured the room to be._

 _I stopped walking completely, suspicious of what was going on. "Wait a minute! Where is Zelda?!" I asked the Sheikah, "And how do you know my name?!"_

 _Impa sighed, half in frustration and half in sorrow. She put her hand on my back, guiding me over to a mirror._

 _"You haven't even seen yourself yet, have you?" she asked, then motioned to the mirror with her hand, "Go take a look."_

 _I shook my head in frustration. "I think I already know what I look like! What does that have to do with anything?!" I questioned her._

 _Impa sighed again. "Crystal, please. Just go look first."_

 _Not seeing any other way out of this, I sighed angrily, walking over to the mirror. "Fine... But I still don't understand what this is supposed to - " I trailed of midsentence, in absolute shock over what I saw._

 _The girl I saw in the mirror, looking back at me, was not the same young woman that I had come to recognize as myself - at least, not in appearance. In her place stood the thin, beautiful young lady that I had been sketching on paper only just this morning. I brought my hand to my mouth in shock as I gasped, somewhat stunned when the girl that I saw in the reflection did the same. I reached back to feel my own ears, finding them to be Hylian, just like the girl in the mirror's reflection. I quickly felt my face, discovering that like all people of the world - true to my new reflection - my eyes were much larger than they had been back in the world that I had come from._

 _"Do you understand now, Crystal...?" I heard Impa ask, seeing her behind me in the reflection of the ornate and elegant mirror that I had been staring into._

 _When I didn't answer, she continued on; "You are Princess Zelda's long lost sister. When you were born, just a few years before her, Rauru came to me and to your parents and warned us that you would be in danger, were you to remain in this world. So we took you away, to another dimension, and left you there with a kind family we met, to be raised completely unaware of your origins. It pained us to do this, but we were told that it was the best thing we could possibly do - and now I know why."_

 _Impa paused for a moment before putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder as she broke the rest of the news to me gently. "Crystal, last night, your sister was killed by an unknown evil. I'm sorry to have to drag you into all this, but you are the only remaining heir to the Throne. Hyrule needs you now."_

* * *

 _Present Day_

 _Link's POV_

"What are you talking about, Impa?" I questioned, "Zelda doesn't have a sister."

Impa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Link. We should have told you. But we were afraid that somehow someone else might find out about her. We had to keep her safe."

"Where is she...?" I asked, concerned, "Is she alright...?"

Impa nodded, then walked over to side door and knocked on it. "Crystal," she spoke, "it's alright. Come out; there's someone here you need to meet."

After I heard the lock click, the door opened, and I saw a beautiful young lady walk out towards me. For a moment, I almost mistook her for Zelda, but this girl was different somehow. Despite looking a little older than Zelda, she had a more youthful and carefree look in her eyes - a girl who clearly had a far more adventurous heart. She wore a long fancy dress much like Zelda had, but this time her outfit was a lovely soft baby blue.

"Link, this is Crystal, Zelda's sister. Without Zelda, it would prove difficult to get into the Temple of Time, but...Crystal is Zelda's sister. Now that Zelda is gone, Crystal will have to take over as the Sage of Time. That means that she has inherited all of her powers...including the Triforce of Wisdom." Impa told me, then told the girl, "Crystal, this is Link, the Hero of Time."

The girl seemed to look at me for a moment in disbelief.

"Hi..." she said shyly, approaching me slowly.

"Hi." I said, waving slightly, still fighting back tears. She reminded me so much of Zelda that I wanted to cry, just thinking about the fact that my dear friend was gone.

Impa sighed. "We really should get going now, Link. You and I had better start our journey."

"Hey, wait!" Crystal called out, "You always do so much alone, Link...this time...I want to help."

"But, Crystal, you've never fought before... You'd be in danger." Impa started.

"No," Crystal interrupted, "but I've played enough Zelda games to know that even the Princess can fight for her people. Zelda masqueraded as Sheik and did quite well. I can do the same. I'll just mimic her moves." Just because you remember, doesn't mean your body can remember."

Impa sighed, looking at me and shaking her head before turning her attention back to Crystal; we both could tell by the look in her eyes that she would not be swayed from this decision.

"I'm sure you will want these then." the Sheikah said, holding out an average-sized box.

Smiling, Crystal opened the box to find Zelda's Sheik clothing, a pair of kunai knives, a chain, and some throwing needles in the box. "Thank you, Impa." she said, running off to her dressing room. Once she had gotten dressed and returned to us, we snuck to the Temple of Time.


	5. Chapter 5: The Temple of Light

**Chapter 5: The Temple of Light**

* * *

 _Cody's POV_

I awoke on my back, staring into nothingness, trying to figure out where I was, and recall how I got to this place.

I closed my eyes, remembering the last things that happened before I fell into this unconscious state; I was falling into a volcano, when a giant owl grabbed me and brought me here - wherever _here_ was.

I slowly sat up and saw an older man with pointy ears looking at me; it took me a moment to recognize him, but when I did, I almost had a heart attack. _Rauru..._ I thought to myself in disbelief.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at him.

"Is something wrong, Cody?" Rauru asked when I didn't say anything.

"No, I just..." I began, quickly shaking my head and then bowing, "I am honored, great Rauru. But...how do you know who I am?"

"It is...complicated. I will explain all of that when the time is right. For now, though, you must listen to me carefully. You have been called here, Cody, because there is a great evil threatening Hyrule. You are the Hero of Blades, destined to aid the Hero of Time in defeating this evil." Rauru explained.

I almost leapt for joy; I couldn't believe my eyes and ears! I was talking to the Sage of Light! I grew up playing the Legend of Zelda and now I was in it! _I get to meet Link, too!_ I thought to myself, ecstatic.

Suddenly, a temple appeared behind Rauru and a bright light flashed. I looked down at myself and saw a pair of golden gauntlets on my hands with emeralds on the backs of them.

"Those are the Gauntlets of Time. They will block any blade and have shield capabilities. You will find out how to use them soon. There are twelve blades in this temple along with a song of sorts that you will need. You must retrieve them in order to aid the Hero of Time. You are five chambers away from them, but be careful." Rauru warned me.

* * *

As I entered the temple, the doors closed, and I started forward.

The building was huge inside, with huge staircases and giant bells with strange markings on them - the layout reminded me of the dungeon portion of the Temple of Time in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but with minor differences in the layout of some objects and platforms.

As I examined a Light symbol I saw on the ground, I began to question where I was, and even what I thought I knew about the Zelda series and the locations in them. If this was the usually unseen Temple of Light - which I suspected it was - then did that make the dungeon portion in Twilight Princess the Temple of Light? Link _did_ enter that part of the dungeon through a hidden door behind a false window - perhaps that door transported him to the part of the Sacred Realm where the Temple of Light lay.

I smiled to myself, still trying to take in everything that had happened to me since the previous afternoon. It should have been difficult for me to believe that this was happening, but for some reason, it wasn't; it just felt _right._ It was almost too easy for me to accept it, but I shrugged it off - it just made it that much easier to do my job if I wasn't questioning whether or not this was all just a dream.

I kept walking along, surprised - but admittedly happy - that there didn't appear to be any monsters around. I wasn't sure that I could ever fight monsters like the Hero of Time could; like my friend Amy had said, I was always very "weak"; I didn't like confrontation or battles, much less the thought of shedding blood, whether necessary or not.

Suddenly, I paused. _Amy..._ I thought back to my old friend and how she had always been there for me. Would I ever see her again...? I loved Hyrule, and I'd always dreamed of what it would be like to live there, but now I felt torn on what I really wanted. It had never been so real to me before. I never considered that I might miss the people that I'd leave behind in coming here.

I shook my head. There was no time for any of that right now. I needed to help the Hero of Time defeat this evil that was threatening the land; I could think about everything else later.

 _I don't care what it is. I'll do whatever it takes to protect this place._ I silently vowed, _You'll see, Amy...I won't be weak anymore... I'm the Hero of Blades, and I will not let these people down._

With that, I began to walk through the temple again, feeling my confidence renewed within me once again. Whatever puzzles lay ahead, I knew I could handle for the sake of Hyrule. Besides, I'd played Zelda a lot of times; this would be a piece of cake...right?

* * *

"Why did these puzzles have to be so dang difficult?" I sighed out loud as I stood, trying to fit a Skyward Sword style boss key into a lock on what I assumed to be the final door. It had _not_ been even half as easy getting through this temple as I thought it would be, even for a seasoned Zelda player like me. I sighed in relief as I turned the key and it finally slipped into place, unlocking the door which I cautiously opened, walking into the room ahead.

I cautiously walked to the treasure chest, and opened it, seeing all of the swords inside; however, just as I started to reach for them, fire surrounded the chest, and I jumped back. Hearing a hissing sound, I turn to find a Lizalfos - a type of creature that looked like a cross between a dinosaur and a lizard. To my surprise, it tossed me a sword, and I caught it clumsily. It smirked - well, what looked like a smirk, anyway - and attacked. I barely parried his attack, trying to slash at his side, but soon find myself being thrown across the room and hitting the wall hard. I looked up quickly to see the Lizalfos coming towards me - the flames around the treasure chest getting smaller and smaller the farther away the Lizalfos got from it.

 _If I can lure it away, maybe I can get a sword..._ I thought, but discarded the idea, deciding that I probably would not be able to leave the temple again until it was defeated.

I picked up the sword and thought back, trying to remember how Link would have fought this creature. After a moment, I stood, getting into a battle stance - my mind filling with strange memories momentarily before I faced the Lizalfos, waiting for it to strike. It fell for my bait, and I blocked its attack with my gauntlet, knocking it in the head and stunning it, before jumping into the air - higher than I ever would have thought I could - and slicing into its head as I went over it, landing behind it and then watching as it fell to the ground, lifeless. Just to make absolutely sure that it wouldn't come back to life, I cut off its head before dropping the sword and heading to the chest. I noticed the bag at my side and I slipped all but one of the swords into it, watching as they disappeared into it, and then strapping the remaining one uncomfortably onto my back.

As I finished adjusting the strap that held the sword to my back, I discovered one final thing lying in the chest - a worn and ancient stone tablet. Carefully, I picked it up and read the Hylian inscriptions to myself:

 _THE SONG OF SWORDS_

 _Who holds Coinspinner knows good odds_

 _Whichever move he make_

 _But the Sword of Chance, to please the gods_

 _Slips from him like a snake._

 _The Sword of Justice balances the pans_

 _Of right and wrong, and foul and fair_

 _Eye for an eye, Doomgiver scans_

 _The fate of all folk everywhere._

 _Dragonslicer, Dragonslicer, how d'you slay?_

 _Reaching for the heart in behind the scales._

 _Dragonslicer, Dragonslicer, where do you stay?_

 _In the belly of the giant that my blade impales._

 _Farslayer howls across the world_

 _For thy heart, for thy heart, who hast wronged me!_

 _Vengeance is his who casts the blade_

 _Yet he will in the end no triumph see._

 _Whose flesh the Sword of Mercy hurts has drawn no breath;_

 _Whose soul it heals has wandered in the night,_

 _Has paid the summing of all debts in death_

 _Has turned to see returning light._

 _The Mindsword spun in the dawn's gray light_

 _And men and demons knelt down before._

 _The Mindsword flashed in the midday bright_

 _Gods joined the dance, and the march to war._

 _It spun in the twilight dim as well_

 _And gods and men marched off to hell._

 _I shatter Swords and splinter spears;_

 _None stands to Shieldbreaker._

 _My point's the fount of orphans' tears_

 _My edge the widowmaker._

 _The Sword of Stealth is given to_

 _One lonely and despised._

 _Sightblinder's gifts: his eyes are keen_

 _His nature is disguised._

 _The Tyrant's Blade no blood hath spilled_

 _But doth the spirit carve_

 _Soulcutter hath no body killed_

 _But many left to starve._

 _The Sword of Siege struck a hammer's blow_

 _With a crash, and a smash, and a tumbled wall._

 _Stonecutter laid a castle low_

 _With a groan, and a roar, and a tower's fall._

 _Long roads the Sword of Fury makes_

 _Hard walls it builds around the soft_

 _The fighter who Townsaver takes_

 _Can bid farewell to home and croft._

 _Who holds Wayfinder finds good roads_

 _Its master's step is brisk._

 _The Sword of Wisdom lightens loads_

 _But adds unto their risk._

"Hmm, strange..." I muttered..."I wonder what this means..."

Suddenly, I was surrounded by a bright light, and felt myself being teleported out of the temple.


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting of Heroes & Princess

**Chapter 6: The Meeting of the Heroes and the Princess**

Crystal's POV

The sound of our footsteps echoed across the black and white tile floor as we enter the Temple of Time, ceasing when our feet reach the long red strip of carpet going down the center of the room. Never before have I seen such a clean, spotless place in my life; New York was certainly not a cleanly place. The air here in Hyrule was so...different from the place that I had been used to living in; it was clean and easy to breathe in. The whole world just felt lighter overall, and more pure.

"Are you familiar with the use of magic?" Link asked kindly, gently touching my arm in a way that I would not describe as romantic, but rather, that of a best friend I'd known my entire life; in a way, it almost felt like I had. But despite his reassuring touch and gentle smile, I could see in his eyes a sadness few could even begin to comprehend - a sadness so strong I could feel it - and I knew, without him saying a word, that it was because of Zelda's death. And even though it wasn't my fault, for some reason, I did feel guilt over it.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered softly, putting my hand over his in a comforting manner, our blue eyes meeting with equal sorrow, "I wish I could bring her back for you."

Gently, he pulled his hand back, his lower lip quivering as he tried to fake a smile, saying, "It's not your fault..." He then looked away, staring at the carpet beneath his feet.

I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder before slipping it away again, unable to think of what to say. Instead, I tried to remain focused on the task at hand, hoping the change of subject would distract him. I grinned broadly, running up to the Door of Time and using the magic I inherited as the new Sage of Time to open the door.

Link immediately looked up at me and raised an eyebrow in question of my actions. "How did you...?" he trailed off.

"You asked if I was familiar with magic. The answer is yes!" I replied, giggling softly, "I may not have had any first hand experience, but I've seen it done before. Seemed simple enough."

Link smirked and exhaled a soft laugh of amusement. _Better keep myself on my toes around this one - she's clever._ he mentally noted.

Suddenly, a felt an extreme amount of weakness come over my body as I sank to my knees.

"Princess!" Link yelled in concern, rushing over to me.

"Don't worry! Opening the door just took a little more energy than I anticipated..." I told him, smiling reassuringly, then looked at the newly opened chamber, "Go get the Master Sword. I'll be there in a moment."

"Are you sure?" Link asked, still looking fairly concerned.

I laughed softly before responding, "Yes, of course! Go on now..."

Link smiled a bit in relief, nodding and standing up before heading into the chamber where the Master Sword lay. He sighed, trying not to remember what had happened the first time he had removed the sword from its pedestal - praying that this time things would not go so badly. He put the Great Fairy's Sword into his pouch and watched it magically disappear before grabbing the handle of the Legendary Blade - its sheath appearing on his back. Carefully and slowly, he pulled the Master Sword out of its pedestal, but before he even had the chance to sheath it, there was a bright, temporarily blinding flash of light, and we both shielded our eyes, slowly uncovering them as the light began to subside, revealing a figure standing only a few feet in front of Link.

Believing it to be something evil, Link instinctively attacked.

* * *

Cody's POV

My eyes barely had time to adjust before I was attacked by a green blur - my immediate reaction to which was to hold up my gauntlets to block the blow, and then jump back. I pulled out Shieldbreaker, a sword with a broken shield on its hilt - one of the swords that I had acquired in the Temple of Light - and got ready for my opponent's next attack. As he swung his sword, my blade met his, but somehow his sword didn't break, despite the Song of Swords stating that it could shatter swords and splinter spears.

Taken aback by this, I jumped away, looking at the warrior that attacked me, sheathing my sword and putting my hands up in the air the moment I saw who it was.

"Stop!" I cried, causing the warrior to stagger, "I have no wish to fight you…Link, Hero of Time."

"Who are you, stranger?" Link asked, confused, but also somewhat wary.

"My name is Cody. I was brought here to help you defeat the new evil that threatens this great land of Hyrule." I explained.

Cynical, Link looked me over and immediately noticed my round ears. "You are not from here. You do not have Hylian ears. How do you know who I am?"

"Let's just say you are known far away." I replied, unsure if I should elaborate on exactly how I did know him, fearing that it might sound strange.

Link continued to look at me, trying to decide if he should trust me or not.

"Link...? Who are you talking to?" I heard a light, very feminine voice say, the sound of quickened footsteps following soon after as the one who had spoken ran over to the Hero's side to look at what was going on.

At first I mistook the young lady to be Zelda disguised as Sheik, but soon after noticed there were a few differences between Zelda and this young lady.

The outfit, though I knew it to be the very same one that Zelda wore, fit her perfectly, but the turban did not quite conceal everything it was intended to, as several wisps of her long golden hair hung out the sides, falling onto her shoulders. The hair that she allowed to conceal half of her face was much longer than that which Zelda used, hanging down past the cloth wrapped around her mouth. She apparently had forgotten to change her eye color to red, and wore thin rectangular blue-framed glasses. Her Hylian ears were visible, so I assumed her to be from this land. She was a newbie at this disguise, and it definitely showed.

"Who are you...?" she asked softly.

"Princess, get back." Link told her quietly, instinctively standing in front of her, ready to protect her.

 _Princess..?_ I thought in confusion, _But this isn't Zelda..._ "What happened to Zelda?" I blurted out aloud, rightfully fearing for her safety.

Link looked at me in surprise. "You know Zelda?!" he asked.

"Of course - " I began to reply.

"You were the one who killed her, didn't you?!" he asked, seemingly enraged as he raised his sword in my direction once again.

"Link, no!" the supposed Princess exclaimed, "I don't think he's here to hurt us. I don't sense any evil intent..."

"Then explain to me how you know so much about us." Link demanded, remaining guarded.

"I am, for all intensive purposes, a lover of Hyrulian culture, legends, and other things related to this beautiful land." I replied.

Link smiled a little, as if he had caught on to my comments, which did unnerve me a bit. Was I that terrible at subtlety?

"So, what exactly has happened to Zelda, and who is this new...princess?" I asked again.

Link looked down and then softly mumbled, "Allow me to explain..."


	7. Chapter 7: Journey to Kokiri Forest

**Chapter 7: Journey to Kokiri Forest**

Link's POV

"No...Zelda can't be dead!" Cody insisted, "Are you sure you're making a mistake - that this isn't some complicated lie created to deceive you-"

 _Were you even listening to me?_ I thought in annoyance; this was a sore subject and I didn't need him going over all of the possibilities that I had sadly already ruled out shortly after I was informed of Zelda's...murder.

"No." I cut him off quickly, perhaps even curtly, before he could finish, "Impa and I already discussed the possibilities on our way here."

Cody stopped speaking, stopping to stare at me in shock; clearly, he had not expected such a reaction from me, and rather understandably. I never acted like this - not normally, at least.

"I think it would be best if we made our way to the Forest Temple." Impa said, though with a visible hint of shock at my actions in her tone of voice. I could tell by the unusual way that she fumbled to get the words out so quickly that she was trying to change the subject.

Seeming to catch on to Impa's difference in tone and actions, Cody quickly turned his attention to the new subject.

"What are we looking for there?" he asked.

"The last time Hyrule was in danger, the Hero of Time's first priority as an adult was to visit the Forest Temple." Princess Crystal spoke with unbelievable knowledge and logic, taking everyone else in the room by surprise, "It's only logical that, when evil rises again, that place should be our first destination, as well."

 _Only fitting that the heir to the throne of Hyrule and the Triforce of Wisdom should be incredibly smart._ I mentally noted, allowing myself a small friendly smile to her. She noticed and happily smiled back. "Alright! Off we go, then!" she said, gesturing towards the open entrance to the Temple of Time as she hurried forward.

Impa, Cody, and I quickly followed suit.

* * *

Crystal's POV

Castle Town was a busy, bustling place - especially in the afternoon. I couldn't believe how busy it was, even if it was, rather thankfully, not as busy nor as bustling as New York City.

People crowded at outdoor stands and yelled over each other to the merchants and vendors to sell their products to them. It seemed a rather competitive sport to them; haggling and bartering, bidding and trading over the latest, most popular item available seemed to be the name of the game here amongst townsfolk and tourists alike. No doubt, the merchants and vendors were getting rich off of this.

Children darted about the Town Square, playing with masks and various souvenirs of all sorts like nothing else in the world mattered; to them, nothing did.

"CATCH THAT CUCCO!"

I giggled as I heard a little girl in a yellow dress and white bonnet cry out this invitation to play as she cut in front of me, a little white cucco taking the lead in this adorable game of tag. Everything about this place felt so familiar and so much like home, yet I hadn't been there since my birth - or so I'd been told by Impa.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, running over to the huge fountain in the middle of the square, as giddy as a young child on Christmas morning as I leaned against the black metal railing around it and stared into the sparkling, crystal clear, sky blue water that flowed just a few feet away from my face, occasionally misting me with droplets of water, "It's so pretty!"

Impa sighed, clearly disgusted, and cleared her throat. " _Sheik_." she spoke Zelda's Sheikah alias' name in reference to me rather sternly, "We have work to do."

Taken by surprise but _definitely_ getting the message, I backed away from the fountain and saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Without another word, but definitely with an eye roll from Impa, we walked out of the town and across the drawbridge.

* * *

Cody's POV

The sun was just beginning to set as we entered Hyrule Field, bathing all beneath it in a golden light as it lit up the sky with beautiful, bright purple, pink, orange, and yellow hues. A gentle breeze swept over the land, rustling the lush green grass, and blowing through our hair.

I immediately gasped at the sight. "It's more beautiful than I imagined..."

"It's so lovely..." Crystal mused in a gentle whisper, a small tear of joy falling from her sky-blue eyes. I looked to her for a moment - perhaps the only thing I found to be more beautiful than the land itself - and watched her as she stood, long golden hair escaping from her turban and flowing out behind her, hands clasped together and held near her heart. I blushed at the tightness of her Sheik outfit and how it hugged her figure, quickly looking away in shyness.

I could've stayed in that moment forever, just enjoying the amazing new world around me. I knew by the look in her eyes that the Princess felt the same. However, we needed to get going.

We'd only walked for what seemed a short while before Link paused, looking up at the sky with a serious expression, watching as the last of the sunset's beautiful colors faded away into the darkness of the deep blue sky.

"Night is approaching." the Hero observed, "The monsters will appear soon. Get ready to fight."

Nodding in acknowledgement, I unsheathed the sword on my back and prepared for battle, while Impa and Crystal did the same. And just as we had finished, the monsters began to come up out of the ground, the sound of bones rattling as the skeletal figured clawed their way out of the earth.

I had expected to see Stalchildren, but never as many as had appeared; ordinarily, it seemed that four was the maximum number to appear at once, but this time, there were thousands, all surrounding us until we stood back to back in a four-point star-like formation. I sliced through two, amazed at how easily they disintegrated; Link, Crystal, and Impa, too, were easily dispatching groups of them, until the monsters suddenly begin to push into us, forcing us ever closer together, unable to move.

Crystal had already been already having trouble learning to fight, but now she was about to be overwhelmed. I quickly rushed to her aid, forgetting my own safety as I cut through hordes of them in front of her, as Link used his shield to focusing on covering my back, and Impa attacked the monsters at our sides. I managed to cut a path open through them, and immediately looked to my three allies.

"Go!" I cried, watching as Impa nodded and grabbed Crystal by the arm as she guided her quickly out through the opening. Link, however, to my dismay, decided to stay.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled, "Get out of here!"

Link shook his head and smirked. "Can't let you have all the fun, you know."

I laughed, smiling gratefully at the Hero as we worked together to destroy every last one of the monsters in the field, leaving us sore and tired, but thankfully unharmed.

"You know," Link said thoughtfully, "you're not a bad fighter, Cody."

"Actually, this is the first fight I have been in. I just use the knowledge of how you fight and try to imitate it." I replied as I rubbed the back of my head somewhat embarrassed at the compliment.

"Is that so?" Link asked, a little shocked when I nodded the affirmative, "Well, you're good enough to be a veteran warrior."

"Thanks." I said, then continued forward towards our destination, anxious to catch up with the others.

* * *

The stars were already out by the time we entered Kokiri Forest, millions of tiny white dots covering the deep, dark blue sky. Fireflies flew about all over, and sometimes, I thought I saw some rather unnatural orbs of light floating along with them in the air. Spirits of the forest, perhaps? Or was it just some odd manifestation of the beautiful but mysterious energy I could feel in the air?

Had we all not been so exhausted, I might have taken more time to appreciate the beauty that surrounded me.

"We should keep going." Link said softly as he continued on his way towards the Lost Woods, where the Forest Temple lay. He wanted to go on as if nothing was wrong, but I could hear the weariness in his voice. Ah, poor Link, always such a brave and selfless Hero to the very end, even if it might cost him his life.

I shook my head. "Princess Crystal is tired, and so am I." I dared not bring up his own exhaustion; he'd only have argued the point, "And I'm sure Impa would agree that a good night's rest would be best for all of us."

Impa, to no one's surprise, nodded in agreement. "I think it would be preferable, Hero."

Crystal, every bit as eager to help save the land as Link, started to object, but I turned to her and winked, putting a hand on her arm to signal her to stop.

"Y-yes." She agreed reluctantly, nodding. With a sigh, Link walked off to his old treehouse and entered it to prepare sleeping arrangements.

"Why did you say we should stop?" Crystal asked me after he had left.

"Because of two reasons," I started, "The first being that I want to train with you, so we both can regain/learn how to fight. The second, you will have to wait and see."

Crustal nodded and grabbed her kunai. I shook my head, going over to a tree, and breaking off two branches, then broke one in half and handed them to her, who put away her knives and took the sticks.

* * *

After about 30 minutes, Link returned to find us talking.

"You are getting your body adjusted to fighting rather quickly, Crystal." I said.

"You learn quickly as well, Cody." she said, smiling, "But what was the second reason you wanted us to stop?"

"Right…" I said, reaching into my bag, amazing Crystal when I pulled out a sword. The hilt had an eye on it and was called Wayfinder, or the Sword of Wisdom.

"I wanted to give this to you. Since you have the Triforce of Wisdom, I thought it fitting that you have the Sword of Wisdom as well. But the song that goes with this sword gives a warning. Who holds Wayfinder finds good roads, its master's steps are brisk. The Sword of Wisdom lightens loads, but adds unto their risk." I explained.

"Thank you, Cody." Crystal said.

We then followed Link to his house, and fell asleep in the individual beds he had laid out for us on the floor.


End file.
